The Life of a Teen in Quarantine:

Noura Oseguera Arasmou, Staff Writer

When I first heard that I would be going on lockdown at home starting March 16th (with an initial end date of the 27th) I was quite devastated. I knew that there wouldn’t be much for me to do considering that my teachers couldn’t give assignments during those first 2 weeks. So, during that time the days  passed so slowly and muddled together into weeks. 

This lasted past the initial dates, though, and then – finally – on April 1st, the county developed a plan, and so did I. I wanted to try making my days meaningful and not the same routine. That was definitely a challenge due to the fact that I was stuck at home! But, I tried to make it work as best as I could. This article is a recollection of small diary entries from the two just after this announcement and toward the end of third quarter

April 1st: Today was probably the worst day of my life! I had such a bad stomach ache it felt like I was dying. So much for starting off my month great. All I did today was lay around trying to feel better. My mom thinks I need more vitamin C. I think I should listen to her and maybe sit in the sun or go outside sometime so I don’t shrivel up and die! 

April 2nd: Howdy! I actually did something I felt was productive today! It wasn’t very school related, but it was lots of fun. I taught myself a new cord on my ukulele! The C chord! I’m proud!

April 3rd: First day of math class online! Could’ve been better, but I’d say it was a pretty good test run. I was swamped with studying for my AP exam so I didn’t get many other things done. 

April 4th: Finally the WEEKEND! But if I’m being honest, every day feels like the weekend. I decided to take a walk this morning with my mom! It felt so good to finally feel some sun on my face! We obviously followed social distancing rules and even wore masks though it made it hard to breathe – but anything to stay safe!

April 5th: I switched up my routine a little bit today which felt really great. I slept in a bit later than usual and went on another walk with my family. (I am so grateful for being able to step outside even if it’s only for about 30 minutes!) After lunch my family played board games together, I won of course. But after a pretty productive day I think I’ll be sleeping early tonight. It’s only 9pm but I’m EXHAUSTED. 

April 6th: Huge physics assignment I had to get done! Took up almost the whole day. I can’t wait for this quarter to be over!

April 7th: Honestly one of the best days since quarantine began. I called up one of my friends and we caught up and talked for about 6 hours! I don’t think I’ve ever done that! I made cheesecake cups today which were lots of fun. I never realized how much I would look forward to simple things like baking but hey, atleast I get to eat dessert! 

April 8th: I spent almost my whole day doing an AP exam review and an English project. But the good news is, I’ve started to incorporate taking a walk and doing a workout into my daily routine. I really enjoy these small breaks in my day. They really relieve a lot of tension and just overall relax me. My mom made banana bread so that was also an added plus after a really long day! 

April 9th: I’m starting to really enjoy online classes as bad as that may sound! My teachers have been great with time allotment on assignments and the convenience of homework is great! I have home responsibilities, obviously, so being able to just finish an assignment at my convenience is so helpful. I wasn’t able to walk today though because it was a bit cold outside. 

April 10th: I think I might be catching a cold. I woke up with a stuffy nose but my mom made me some hot tea. I’ve done homework the whole day.

April 11th: Same as yesterday – still not feeling very well. Hopefully this blows over in the next few days. 

April 12th: All my thoughts are right now are that at least I’m safe at home. Regardless of how sick I’m feeling. 

April 13th: The past 3 days have been so frustrating. I haven’t been feeling well at all. I’m starting to recover. I just think I had a bad cold mixed with the changing weather. One day it is warm and sunny and the next day cold and rainy! While I was sick I just caught up on schoolwork and practiced my ukulele. I’ve been getting better. I think I want to teach myself the guitar. 

April 14th: I had another Zoom meeting for math as well as one for journalism! It was really great catching up and seeing my teacher, Mr.Woodward, as well as fellow students that I know. Right after both classes I went on another walk with my family again. I think that taking these walks have really been the highlights of my days. It’s crazy to think that these 2 weeks are over. As I typed the days have stacked one on top of the other and now it’s been two whole weeks, but it feels like it could’ve been 2 days! 

This two week diary really taught me a lot. Although I didn’t state exactly what I did each and every day, I picked the more important pieces. I also picked the pieces that made my day feel complete and full. My days are finally starting to feel separate and unique. Each day ends with some sort of content feeling, which I was struggling to find at the very start of quarantine. My time management also feels as if it’s getting much better. I had a conversation with a friend that got me thinking about how fortunate I am to be able to be at home, protected and with so many things to keep me occupied. It might have taken me some time to realize that, but it honestly is the little things in life! I am so grateful to be stuck at home even if it does get boring sometimes. I think that the important thing is to try new things with your time, and occupy yourself with meaningful activities that you enjoy. As always, make sure you are practicing social distancing and stay safe! 

-Signing off for now, 

Noura.